Lost and Found
by Unshacken
Summary: "Kaidan, go. Now." Shepard had given him many orders; this was the first he felt compelled to disobey. So he did, saving her from the Normandy's destruction and giving his own life in the process... or so he thought. Two years later, Kaidan Alenko has two goals: save humanity from the Collectors, and win back the heart of the woman he loves. ME2 AU.
1. Prologue

"Kaidan, go. Now." Shepard's words were brief, but her intent was clear. She needed him looking after the crew, not her. In a fleeting moment it had become apparent that everything they'd gained could be lost just as quickly, and if he had to he would let it happen for the sake of duty. Because Kaidan Alenko didn't take chances. Kaidan Alenko played it safe. But as he scanned the corridor for any stragglers, as he prepared to enter the escape pod himself, he hesitated, realizing that if there was anyone in the galaxy that was worth risking everything for, it was Shepard.

He slammed his hand on the release switch and watched the pod spin away, then turned and made his way to the bridge.

* * *

The Normandy's deck shuddered beneath her feet as Shepard tossed Joker into the escape pod. She leaned forward to climb in behind him but another shot from their unknown foe put a stop to that. She drifted away, watching the deck crumble away between her and the pod, her chances of escape crumbling with it. Her one comfort, though, was knowing that Kaidan was safe. She had unexpectedly developed a soft spot for the biotic, and here, just as on Virmire, she wasn't about to let anything happen to him.

Just as she'd resigned herself to her fate, she felt something lift her up, propelling her toward the pod. Glancing down, she saw herself surrounded by a blue glow, something that she'd seen hundreds of times as Kaidan expertly used his biotics to fling their enemies aside, sometimes finishing a fight before she even had a chance to take a shot. And she knew that as much as she prided herself on using her brains, her guns, or the sheer force of her personality to arrange any situation to her advantage, she was powerless to stop what was happening now.

She'd barely been released from the Lift when she saw the escape pod doors slam shut, felt it spiral away from the wreckage that had once been her home, watched the faint glimmer of starlight off Kaidan's hardsuit as it drifted away. She pounded on the door of the escape pod, breaking free of Joker's futile attempts to hold her back. "Damnit, Kaidan! I gave you an order! You were supposed to be in the fucking pod!"

His voice came in over her helmet radio, faint, already gasping for breath, "Sorry... Shepard. Had to..."

She screamed wordlessly as his last words faded away, not stopping until her throat was raw. Finally, she fell back into an empty seat on the pod, still staring out at space, ignoring Joker's mumbled condolences, ignoring the radioed requests from the other pods. He was gone.

* * *

_I wish that I was anesthetized and sterilized_

_And then, we wouldn't have this evidence congealing_

After Ilos, after Saren, they'd made sure to take the proper precautions. But that first night had been so desperate, so unexpected...they'd only concerned themselves with the moment. It had been foolish and romantic and so unlike her... what was it about him that had managed to disarm her so completely..

_Surprise, surprise, another pair of lips and eyes_

"A blessing," said the old woman in that vid Becca had enjoyed so much, back on Earth. "Something to remember him by." That would have been the most foolish thing of all. She would always remember Kaidan, and the brief time they'd had together. Some little bit of his DNA wouldn't change that.

_And that is the consequence of actually feeling..._

Besides, she had so many other things to concern herself with. The Alliance. The Council. Career and command and duty. They were all she had left, now. Really, they were all she'd ever had. So she took the pill. And cried as the last thing she had of Kaidan bled away.

* * *

"She's alive?"

"Yes, sir. The attack was devastating, but most of the crew survived, Shepard included."

"Very well. We'll need to reach out to her then, see if she's amenable. Contact her. She'll want to know who attacked her ship; tell her we have information."

"Do I tell her whom I represent?"

"Only if she asks."

* * *

"So tonight, we honor the memory of those we lost on the Normandy. Kaidan Alenko..."

The look was fleeting, but Anderson still recognized the shadow that overcame Shepard's face as she read the first name. Not that he was going to accuse her of impropriety, especially not now, but he'd never seen Shepard react so strongly to a death among her crew.

"Hector Emerson, Robert Falawa, Harvey Gladstone..."

If her relationship with Alenko had gone beyond the professional, however, it would explain her behavior over the past few days suddenly made more sense. They'd seemed quite close in the time they'd spent on the Citadel after Sovereign's defeat as well, although he hadn't thought anything of it at the time beyond simple camaraderie; gratitude that they'd made it out alive.

"Charles Pressley, Mandira Rahman..."

It didn't take long for the shadow in her eyes to turn to fire. It didn't surprise him to see her turn to anger in her grief. That fire was what made her special, what made her the best damn soldier he'd ever met. It had saved her at Elysium; he hoped it would help her heal now. Still, he'd be watching her. She wouldn't be the first soldier he'd seen let righteous anger get the best of her.

* * *

"She doesn't trust our information, then?"

"She doesn't trust the source."

"I see. And what about our other channel."

"The attack on the Normandy was devastating. There was very little left intact. Most of the bodies were ripped apart."

"But you found something."

"One corpse. It appears he survived the initial attack but wasn't able to evacuate. Went down with the ship, so to speak. His O₂ line was severed; he wouldn't have survived til rescue."

"And could she tell you anything about him? Was he close to Shepard at all?"

"They were lovers."

He took a long drag from his cigarette as he considered this, then leaned over to put out the remains. "Very well. We've lost nothing; the matter will simply require more gentle handling than we anticipated. Proceed with Project Lazarus."

* * *

"Shepard, this is getting out of hand, and there's only so much I can do to protect you. You're obsessed. It has to stop."

"I can't just give it up. If my information holds up, the attack on the Normandy was only the beginning. For all we know, it could be the next attempt by the Reapers to..."

"There has been no evidence that it was anything but a random attack, much less that the Reapers were involved. And you can't take this to the Council or Alliance Command without hard evidence, not just some nameless source." His voice lowered. "Look, I understand what you're going through. But Alenko's dead, and this won't bring him back."

"This is NOT about Alenko!" She breathed deeply, slowly, trying to calm herself. "This is about the galaxy. Look, if I hadn't taken the Normandy to Ilos we'd have been sitting ducks for Sovereign. We'd all be dead right now."

"It's different now, Shepard. You have no ship, no resources..."

"I spent half my life getting by with nothing, Anderson. I'm not afraid to do it again."

"Well, if I'm not going to talk you out of this, do one thing at least. Resign. Make it official. Don't burn any more bridges than you have to."

He got a call from Admiral Hackett the next day. She'd submitted her formal resignation that morning.

* * *

_Contains lyrics from "Carriage" by Counting Crows_


	2. Awakening

"Lieutenant!" The voice drilled into his skull even as Kaidan struggled to comprehend it through the fog in his brain. "Lieutenant Alenko, wake up!" Whoever the woman was, she was talking to him, he realized. But where was he? How had he gotten here. He tried to remember, but was still having trouble getting through the fog. "Get up! This facility is under attack." Those words were enough for instinct to kick in. He rolled off the bed, landing on shaky legs, and scanned the room for a weapon as he took a moment to steady himself. "There's a pistol in that locker in the corner," the voice said, echoing his concern.

He retrieved the gun from the locker, its weight comfortable in his hand. Beside it lay a device that he recognized as a biotic amp; on a whim he ran a hand across the base of his skull and found that he didn't have one equipped. He inserted the amp and instinctively activated a Barrier. The hum of his biotics was familiar, yet different somehow. He didn't have time to ponder it further, however. The voice continued to prod him.

"There are hostile mechs in the corridor outside. Take cover." He ducked behind a crate in the medical room where he'd awoke and peered above the top to see the mech approaching. Calmly, he squeezed off three shots into the mech's chassis, which was enough to bring it down. He headed down the corridor, which opened into a larger storage room. Several more of the mechs filed into the room from the opposite side. He took cover again behind a crate, wishing he had an omni-tool; he'd be able to make short work of the mechs with that.

Nonetheless, he managed to take them out the hard way: bullets, biotics and a little bit of patience. Convinced that he'd taken care of any hostiles in the area, he pressed on. The next corridor provided him with two unlocked doors; the first one he tried went to an office space. A recently saved video log flashed from a nearby terminal. Curious, he shut the door behind him and played the log.

The voice on the log was the same one that had awoken him a few minutes ago, and Kaidan realized he could recognize her face as well. He remembered waking up once before, in the same medbay he'd just escaped. He'd been barely aware and unable to move, hardly having a chance to take in his surroundings before everything went black again. _Rudimentary brain activity? Organic reconstruction?_ Just how bad off was he, he wondered as other memories started to break through the fog.

The Normandy in flames, almost ripping apart before his feet. The desperate race to the bridge, the need to get to Shepard and keep her safe. Shepard's screams over his helmet radio, his desperate attempts to say goodbye with his remaining breath...

But he'd been saved. The Alliance must have gotten there quickly, he realized. Or someone had; that woman wasn't wearing any kind of uniform that Kaidan recognized. Desperate now for more information, he tried the nearby voice recorder. _"The cost of this project is astronomical, over four billion credits." _Four billion? What project? Was it talking about _him? _But four billion credits? For what? Just how long had he been out? Someone, maybe the dark-haired woman, had to have some answers. He left the office and continued through the station.

* * *

It wasn't long before he heard gunfire again. A dark-skinned man was crouched behind a railing, trying to hold off the crowd of mechs on a nearby catwalk. Kaidan watched as the man yanked one of the mechs toward him biotically, then decided to join in, using his own biotics to hurl the mech against the wall. Drawing his pistol, he helped gun down the rest of the hostiles then hurried to join the other man.

"Alenko, didn't think Miranda would have you up yet. I thought you were still a work in progress."

"Miranda... was she the one on the intercom?" Maybe he could finally get some information.

"Yeah, she's in charge of this project. I'm Jacob Taylor, by the way," Jacob held out a hand. "Been working on security here pretty much since we started."

"Jacob, listen, this probably isn't the best time, but would you mind telling me what the _hell_is going on here?"

"Shit, yeah, I guess getting woken up like that must have thrown you for a loop. I can give you the quick and dirty version. Your ship was destroyed, torn apart. You were killed in the attack; wasn't much left by the time we got to you. We've spent most of the last two years just trying to put you back together. You've been comatose, or worse, since we started."

"Wait," Kaidan started backing away, "you're telling me I was dead? _Dead _dead?"

"No pulse, no respiration, no brain activity."

"How?" he sputtered, trying to take in what he'd just heard. "Why? I mean, that shouldn't be _possible._"

"That would have to wait until we talk to Miranda. It's not exactly my area of expertise, you know?"

"Right," he conceded, though he continued to eye Jacob warily. "Do you know what happened to She- to the rest of the Normandy's crew?"

"I know Navigator Pressley was killed in the attack, along with a few others. But most of the crew survived, including Commander Shepard herself. As for where they all ended up after that, couldn't tell you."

"I'll want to try tracking them down when we get out of here, then."

"Understandable. We'd better get moving then."

"Lead the way."

* * *

They hadn't been moving long when they picked up another voice on the radio. Kaidan recalled it from the audio log he'd come across. The bitter one. Kaidan couldn't blame him, though; he wasn't sure his life was worth four billion credits either. "_Jacob?_" the voice called, "_anyone? Is anyone here?_"

"Wilson, I'm here," Jacob responded.

"In the control room right now," said Wilson, " trying to keep an eye on the situation. I spotted you on the camera. Take the door to your left; I'll meet up with you."

The door Wilson had indicated opened into a darkened equipment room. Kaidan had barely made it through the door when they were ambushed by another group of mechs. He Threw two of them across the room while firing his gun at a third. At least he had some help now, with Jacob proving more than adequate at disposing of the mechs.

"Wilson!" Jacob shouted angrily. "Next time can you try to not direct us into the middle of the hostiles?"

"_Look, just keep moving, okay? I've made it to server room D and- augh! They're everywhere." _Kaidan heard frantic gunfire in the background. _"Ugh, one of 'em got me. Hurry!"_

They hurried through the station, Jacob leading the way. "About time," Wilson barked when they finally reached the server room. "I thought I'd try to hack into the mechs from here, shut 'em down."

"You'e a med tech, Wilson. You don't have the clearance for this," Jacob said.

"Hey, it was worth a shot. Now are we gonna talk this shit to death or is someone gonna patch up this leg before I bleed out?"

Scanning the walls of the room, Kaidan spotted a medigel dispenser. He grabbed three packets from it and pocketed two, applying the third to the gunshot wound on Wilson's leg. The wound was pretty nasty, looked like he'd been hit from point blank range, although he didn't see any mechs nearby that might've been responsible. "C'mon," Kaidan said, reaching his arm down to help Wilson to his feet, "we need to keep moving."

Finally the shuttle bay was in sight. The door slid open as they approached to reveal Miranda standing in the doorway. He'd noticed how attractive she was on the vidlog, of course, but in person she was a knockout. Not that it mattered, of course. His only thoughts were for Shepard. They just had to get out of here...

"Miranda," said Wilson, "you're alive?"

Miranda drew the pistol clipped to her belt. "Despite your best efforts, yes." She pulled the trigger, dropping Wilson at point blank range.

Kaidan could only gasp. Jacob was slightly more composed. "What was that?"

"Wilson was a traitor. He sabotaged the facility, released the mechs, turned them against us. And now we need to get out of here before more of them show up."

Kaidan looked down at Wilson, but there was nothing he could do now. Reluctantly, he turned and boarded the shuttle with Jacob and Miranda.

* * *

He didn't know where they were going or what was going to happen when they got there, but seeing Miranda gun down Wilson in cold blood only strengthened his resolve to get the hell out of there and go after Shepard at his first opportunity. As he was pretty much stuck where he was at the moment, he settled for glaring at Miranda.

She sighed, finally tiring of it. "He was obviously guilty, Lieutenant. He set up all three of us to get killed." Kaidan had, in fact, come to a similar conclusion. The audio logs revealing the man's progressively injured pride, the way he'd guided them straight into a room full of hostile mechs, the suspicious leg wound- yeah, he probably had been guilty. Still...

"I thought a trial might have been in order. Or did humanity give up on due process in the past two years?"

"We handle things a little differently in our organization."

"Oh, and what organization might that be?"

Jacob leaned forward before Miranda could respond. "We're with a group called Cerberus."

"Jacob!" Miranda snapped.

Jacob shrugged. "He'd have found out sooner or later."

"Cerberus? The guys doing experiments with husks, and Thorian creepers, oh, and I think there was something with Thresher maw venom?"

"Acid," muttered Miranda.

Well, she wasn't trying to deny it. "Is that what you were doing with me in there? I'm another one of your experiments? Well, congratulations. You won. You figured out how to cheat death using me as your test subject. Good for you."

"Is that what you think?" Miranda shook her head at him. "Believe me, lieutenant, you're not just a guinea pig. You're far too valuable for that."

"Valuable? How? Actually, you know what, it doesn't matter. Because as soon as we get somewhere with a functional comm system, I'm calling the Alliance. If you think I'm going to work with you, you're crazy."

"I hope you'll reconsider once you've spoken with the Illusive Man."

"Illusive Man? Really? Is that supposed to inspire confidence?"

Miranda narrowed her eyes at him.

"Great," muttered Kaidan. He'd been kidnapped by mad scientists led by a man with delusions of enigma. Still, he was alive, and so was Shepard. That was something; really, it was everything. He'd sort out the rest when he had the chance.


	3. Discovery

Kaidan entered the room at the bottom of the stairs, expecting to find the Illusive Man. Instead, he found himself in an empty room with bare walls and a ring inscribed on the floor. As he moved inside the ring, a grid rose up to envelop him, and he finally found himself looking at the Illusive Man. He sat, legs crossed, cigarette in one hand, in front of a backdrop displaying an enormous star. Other than his chair, the room was empty, yet it was expansive. The Illusive Man idly shook the ash from the end of his cigarette, then addressed Kaidan.

"Hello, Lieutenant."

"What do you want with me?" If he wasn't getting anywhere without speaking to the Illusive Man, he was going to keep things as brief as possible. He was becoming desperate to contact Shepard.

"I see you're not one for pleasantries."

"Pleasantries are fine. But I'm not going to play games here. You spent a lot of time and a lot of money to bring me back here, you had to have a good reason."

"Understandable. I'll keep this brief, then. Humanity is standing at the brink, facing the biggest threat it's ever known."

"You mean the Reapers."

"Exactly. Now, the Council's trying their best to sweep what happened under the rug. Trying to pretend that Sovereign was an isolated threat. But you and I, Lieutenant, we know different. So you're right; you are here for a reason. I have a job for you. Human colonies are being attacked, entire populations disappearing. They work fast, Alenko. Whoever is doing this has access to technology far beyond anything we're aware of."

"And that's why you think the Reapers are involved."

The Illusive Man nodded.

"That still doesn't explain what you want with me. I'm just a soldier. I'm nobody. You could hire an army for what it took to bring me back."

"You occupy a unique position, Lieutenant. You worked closely with Commander Shepard. You're intimately familiar with her methods. That's the kind of insight we need to oppose the Reapers."

He should have known this had something to do with Shepard. He wasn't buying the Illusive Man's reasoning, though. "Then why me? Why not her?"

"I would, of course, prefer to have Commander Shepard herself working on this, but she's been a difficult person to reach lately."

Considering their alternative was plucking a frozen corpse out of the sky and reviving it, Kaidan had to believe that difficulty was relative. They needed him because Shepard had already turned them down. They were looking for bait to bring her into the fold. Well, he wasn't about to let Cerberus get their claws into her. And if that meant sticking around, and, nominally at least, doing what they wanted, then so be it.

"If what you're telling me about these colonies is true, I'll be willing to look into it."

"Understood. I'd hardly expect you to buy into this without evidence. I've got a shuttle waiting to depart for Freedom's Progress; it was the last colony to be hit. You'll be taking Miranda and Jacob with you to investigate, and see if you can turn up who's behind it. I do hope we find some evidence to work with, but if you're still not convinced, we can part ways and that will be the end of it."

"You'd really just let me go that easily?"

"I'm nothing if not a man of my word, Alenko."

* * *

Their current system was linked directly by mass relay to that of Freedom's Progress, but they still had over an hour's travel time before they arrived. Kaidan had planned to spend the journey in silence, but curiosity-and, admittedly, confusion-got the better of him. "Miranda, I'd like to find out a little more about project Lazarus. What all was involved? Is there anything I should be aware of?"

Miranda smiled greedily at his question, like she'd won a battle and was about to partake in the spoils. He hated the feeling that he was giving into her, but he _needed_ to know, to understand. "Well, your skeletal structure was mostly intact, but most of the rest had to be reconstructed. Organs rebuilt, skin regrown, blood vessels... those were trickier."

"And all that I can almost believe, but brain tissue needs oxygen to survive, and it doesn't grow back; once it's dead that's it."

"Yes, and the brain was the hard part. I'd speculated beforehand on how we might revive it, but it was all theoretical until you came along. Nonetheless, despite what you believe, we were able to grow new tissue and re-stimulate the nerves, and the evidence that it worked is sitting right in front of me. Your memories appear to be intact, and Jacob tells me even your new biotic implant is functioning properly."

Instinctively, Kaidan's hand flew to the base of his skull. "New implant? No more L2?"

Miranda nodded. "I thought you'd be pleased to hear that. Yes, that antique is long gone. You've been fitted with a top-of-the-line L5 model.

He frowned. "The L5's just a prototype."

"Two years ago it was just a prototype. Now they're just very expensive, very rare, but extremely well-tested technology. Regardless, you're carrying a _very_ sophisticated piece of hardware around in your brain." The shuttle's alarm system began to sound. "We're approaching Freedom's Progress. Everyone strap in."

* * *

A light snow settled down onto the prefabricated buildings of the colony. It might have been a peaceful scene, if not for the eerie silence and emptiness of the abandoned settlement. Departing the shuttle on the outskirts of the area, the trio entered a nearby building as they worked their way to the central courtyard.

He remembered hearing ghost stories as a kid, about villages and settlements whose residents had vanished, all their things left behind, sometimes with half-eaten meals still sitting on tables. He'd always laughed it off then, but he realized that he'd now walked right into one of those stories. "It's like they didn't even have time to react."

"Every colony we've searched has been like this," said Jacob. "No survivors, no people at all, just the things they left behind."

"So what makes you think we'll find anything here," Kaidan wondered aloud.

"We've never gotten to a colony so soon after it was hit. Official investigators always beat us to it. Sometimes pirates and looters, too."

"Yeah, or maybe they really haven't left any evidence. Maybe whoever's been doing this is just that good."

Jacob shook his head. "No one's that good. They have to slip up sometime. I just hope we're there when they do."

The sound of gunfire cut their conversation short as two LOKI mechs, similar to the ones they'd fought at the Lazarus research station, burst out of a nearby building. While they worked to bring them down, a pair of canine FENRIS mechs joined the fray. One of them jumped at Kaidan, knocking him to the ground, but he managed to disengage it with a biotic throw and finish it with a gunshot to its 'face'.

"This was a human colony," remarked Miranda, "those mechs shouldn't have attacked us- unless someone reprogrammed them."

"Maybe there are survivors, then," Kaidan said. "C'mon, we need to find them."

They hurried through the 'streets' of the settlement, the spaces between the identical prefabs, hoping for some kind of lead. As they approached one of the buildings, Kaidan held up a hand for silence. He'd heard voices inside. Drawing his weapon as a precaution, he entered an override code and opened the door to reveal a group of quarians crowded in a circle. He just hoped they hadn't been too late again.

At the sound of the door opening, one of the quarians lifted a shotgun to point it at the trio. "Put your hands where I can see them, humans." As they complied, he took notice of the logo affixed to their field armor. "Cerberus _bosh'tets,_" he barked, drawing closer with his weapon.

Another quarian pushed her way to the front of the group. "Prazza, I told you to let me handle this. Now I'm sure we can-"

Kaidan recognized the voice. "Tali?"

She stopped speaking abruptly. He couldn't see her face, but Kaidan was sure her mouth was hanging open right now. She took a step closer, gazing at him. "Kaidan? But Shepard said you were dead. And now you're here? And with Cerberus?"

Kaidan put a hand on her shoulder. "It's a long story, Tali, but right now we're just trying to find out what happened to this colony. It's not the first human settlement to be hit and we're hoping to find some evidence of who's behind it. But what about you? What do the quarians want with it?"

"A quarian, Veetor, was here on pilgrimage. We know he's still alive; he hacked the mechs to attack anything that moves. But he's sick, probably delirious, and we have to find him before he gets hurt."

"Pilgrimage? In a human colony?"

"Crowds always made Veetor nervous. He wanted to go somewhere quiet, out of the way."

Kaidan could sympathize. "Well, I think we can help each other. You want to find your friend, and with any luck he can tell us what happened here."

"Not a chance!" roared Prazza, the quarian who'd confronted them when they entered. "Veetor needs medical help, not to be interrogated by some Cerberus-"

"Prazza!" Tali shouted. "_I _am in charge here. And he's a friend. We're going to help him." She turned back to Kaidan. "As far as we can tell, Veetor hid in a warehouse at the center of town. If you head that way, we'll circle around to the far side to draw off some of the defenses."

"All right, Tali, we'll meet you there."

* * *

"_Kaidan!" _Tali's voice was shrill in his ear as they approached the entrance to the warehouse. _"Veetor reprogrammed one of the heavy mechs. It tore through Prazza's squad and it's headed your way."_

"We'll be ready for it, Tali." He turned to Jacob and Miranda. "You two get into position on either side of that door. I'll take point." Kaidan crouched behind a crate near the warehouse door and brought up his barrier. "Miranda, hit the door."

The mech was huge and heavily shielded, fitted with heavy weaponry. He immediatedly tried to overload the shields, and from the loud sizzle he heard, suspected that Miranda had done the same. Even the two of them hadn't managed to bring down the shield entirely, however. He poured fire into it from the semiautomatic pistol he was carrying. Unable to keep up with the speed of his attack, the shield finally shorted out on its own.

"Now the fun starts!" hollered Jacob as he shot a fist out, lifting the target high overhead. "Hit it."

Miranda put her own biotics into play and the mech exploded as the well timed warp field connected with it.

High on adrenaline and yet relaxed by the familiar rhythm of combat, Kaidan smiled. "You two sure know how to make a guy feel inadequate," he said, then remembered who he was dealing with. They weren't his crew, they weren't his friends, for now they may as well be his jailers. He turned and headed into the cavernous warehouse.

He tried every door they came to, hoping for some sign of life. Finally, a door slid open to reveal what appeared to be a security room, with a quarian sitting in front of a wall of vidscreens. Kaidan stepped into the room. "Veetor?"

"No Veetor. No more. Only the swarms. They come. They take. They..."

Kaidan turned his attention to the footage on the screens. "Looks like he put this together from the security camera footage. Not seeing anything useful, though. Just those bugs."

"I don't think they're bugs. Not exactly. They appear to be more mechanical in na- wait." She peered more closely at the screen, at a figure pulling a body from a vehicle. "I think that's a Collector."

"Collector?"

Jacob spoke up. "It's a species that shows up in the Terminus from time to time. Supposedly from somewhere beyond the Omega 4 relay. They're known to trade advanced technology for DNA samples, then when they have what they want, they leave."

"Advanced tech... Reaper tech?"

"It would make sense," said Miranda.

"Veetor," said Kaidan, "what can you tell us about what happened here? About the aliens who did this?" But the quarian only continued to babble.

"I don't think he can hear you, Lieutenant," Miranda said condescendingly.

She had a point, he admitted privately. Veetor was absolutely mesmerized by the footage on the screens. He activated his omni-tool, tuned it to the room's frequency, and shut down the screens in one move. Breaking free of his trance, Veetor spun the chair around, taking notice of the three humans for the first time.

"Veetor," Kaidan repeated, "can you tell us what happened here?"

The quarian hesitated, but when he finally spoke the words came quickly.. "The monsters come, with the swarms. Swarms freeze the humans, paralyze them. Monsters take them away. Soon, colony is empty, no one left but me."

"Why did they leave you behind?" asked Jacob. But Veetor only shrunk away from them, shaking his head.

"Maybe he has some technology in his suit, something that blocked the paralyzing agent they used," Kaidan speculated.

"Or if they're only looking for humans, they may have just ignored other life-signs," Miranda added. "Regardless, he'll need to come with us. If he has any more information on what happened here, we need to know.

"Not a chance," said Tali, who had entered the room unnoticed. "Veetor needs medical attention. We're taking him back to the fleet."

Miranda threw a glance at Kaidan from the corner of her eye. "Lieutenant?"

"She's right, Miranda. We've got the footage here, we can get whatever Veetor has in his omni-tool, but he needs to go back to his people. He's been through enough; we've no right to put him through more."

Tali stepped forward and put a hand on Kaidan's arm. "Thank you, Kaidan. I'm still not sure why you're here, but I'm glad that you are." She continued to Veetor's side, helping him up from the chair, then she and Prazza led him from the room.

Miranda was now glaring at him openly. "That's not how I'd have handled that, Alenko."

"Well, then, you might just have to get used to someone handling things a little _differently._"


	4. Old Friends and New

"Well done, Alenko. Miranda was rather incensed that you released the quarian to his people, but it's worked out. They were true to their word and sent us the data from his omni-tool, and you've gained their trust, which could prove useful in the future." And it was the decent thing to do, but Kaidan didn't bother mentioning that. The Illusive Man saw others' actions only in terms of what he could gain from them; that much was clear.

"So now I have to ask," the Illusive Man continued, "what about you. Were you satisfied with what you saw? Will you help us?"

Kaidan nodded. "I'll help." _For__the__sake__of__the__people__in__those__colonies__, __not__for__you__._

"Good. Humanity owes you one." Kaidan seethed at the arrogance of the man, as if he even had the right to speak for humanity, much less the authority. "Now, we need to sort out a few things. First off, I don't expect you to do this alone. You'll need people. I've begun compiling a list of dossiers: soldiers, commandos, scientists, people who can help you combat the Collectors. I've forwarded the first few over to you."

"Wait a minute. Don't I get some say in this? What about the old Normandy crew? I know you said Shepard's a no go, but what about Tali, Liara, Garrus, even Wrex?" The Krogan had been unpredictable, sure, but he'd come through for them in the end. "Do you really think you can throw a bunch of your people at me and expect me to-"

"You misunderstand me, Lieutenant. None of these people have any loyalty to Cerberus, nor any relationship with us whatsoever. They are, as I said, merely individuals we know of who have the required skills for this mission. Now, moving on to my next point, I've already acquired a ship for you and assembled its crew." He smiled. "I've even found a pilot I think you might like."

Kaidan heard the door behind him slide open, followed by a familiar voice. "Hey, Kaidan. Long time, no see."

"Joker?" He spun around to see the Normandy's old pilot walk into the communication room as the signal to the Illusive Man cut off. His surprise at seeing Joker at all was tempered only by his surprise at seeing how he'd entered the room. Back on the Normandy, the pilot had only been able to get from one end of the ship to the other by hobbling on a pair of crutches. Now he had a bit of a limp, but he was walking. Kaidan tried to keep his tone light. "You seem to be getting around pretty good."

Joker slapped his thigh. "Yeah, thought you might have noticed, these guys have some pretty impressive med-tech." He grinned. "I'm not gonna be running marathons or anything, but I'll settle for supporting my own body weight. Now come on; there's something I've gotta show you."

Kaidan followed Joker through the station, matching his slower pace. He and Joker might not have been the closest of friends, but at least here was someone he _knew__, _someone who might actually be _honest_with him. An indication that the past 24 hours hadn't been some bizarre, near-death hallucination. "You don't know how good it is to see you, man, but I have to ask. What are you doing with Cerberus?"

"I had to, Kaidan. After the Normandy went down, shit got crazy. From the moment they picked us up, there were questions, investigations, interrogations... and the whole time they had me grounded. I mean, losing the Normandy was bad enough, but losing my wings entirely? Hell no. When Cerberus offered me a job, it was kind of a no brainer."

"There's got to be more to it than that. I mean, you could've got a civilian gig anywhere. Why would you wanna throw in with these guys?"

"Wait." Joker continued several meters down the corridor, then pulled Kaidan off to one side, addressing him in a low voice. "Look, it really tore Shepard apart when you died. And I'm not saying that to make you feel bad or anything, just trying to explain where this is coming from. Anyway, it was just her and me in that pod, right? And I tried to help, but what could I really do. She was screaming, and pounding on the walls, about put a fuckin' hole right through the side. But I was there for her when she finally calmed down a little, and I guess we kinda started to get closer after that. Not like that," he added quickly, holding up a hand before Kaidan could object, "just, like, she'd tell me things, ya know?

"Anyway, it had been a couple weeks, and she had kinda got to where she seemed to be okay, most of the time. I mean, it would all kind of hit her at random times, but otherwise, she was Shepard again. Then she told me she'd been contacted by Cerberus. That they'd told her the attack on the Normandy might not have been an isolated incident, that there was something bigger behind it. She turned 'em down, didn't want to work with Cerberus at all, but she got hung up on the idea that there was something out there, some bigger threat.

"Anderson seemed to think she was out for revenge. I don't think he was entirely wrong. Whatever it was, she was obsessed. Went off half-cocked. I haven't even talked to her in over a year. But anyway, I kinda wondered if whatever information Cerberus had about the attack was even real, or if it was just a fabrication, something to get her on their side. So, yeah, when they offered me a job, I figured I could finally find out if all this was for real. I'm doing this for Shepard."

"I guess that makes two of us then." Suddenly noticing that Joker had been flinching, Kaidan added, "why do you look like I'm going to hit you?"

"It was pretty obvious there was something going on between you two. And even if Miranda did get rid of your crazy chip, I don't think I want to get on the bad side of a jealous biotic."

"Nothing to worry about, Joker. I'm really not the jealous type."

It wasn't entirely true. Hearing how Joker had been there to comfort Shepard tore him apart, if only because that was his job. He should have been there for her and he hated the feeling that he'd abandoned her. Still, he was glad that Joker had been there, that she'd had someone.

And really, he couldn't have blamed her if she'd decided to move on; it had been two years after all. Would he have been able to move past it by now if it had been Shepard who died that day? Or would he still be mourning her after all this time?

"Anyway," he said to Joker, trying to clear his head, "you said you had something to show me?"

"Oh, right. My other reason for joining Cerberus." Joker walked with him to the end of the corridor, where it opened into a docking bay, then activated the lights. "Check that out."

Kaidan gaped as the lights illuminated a familiar silhouette. Black and white paint covered the fluid surface, blank except for "SR-2" stamped near the nose. The last time he'd seen this ship it had been breaking apart beneath his feet as he watched Shepard's escape pod float to safety. It had been one-of-a-kind, a prototype at best, an experiment to be more accurate. His breath caught in his throat. "It's the Normandy."

Joker was smiling as he hung one arm over the guardrail, a far-off look in his eyes. "Not really. She's better."

Joker was right. From the moment he stepped on board, Kaidan could see that the CIC area was larger than the old by almost half. And that wasn't counting whatever lay beyond the doors in the back.

"And check this out," Joker was saying as he seated himself in the pilots chair. "Leather seats. Military might set the hardware standard, but that doesn't include seats that breathe. This is private sector comfort by design."

A holographic interface depicting a blue globe sprung up beside the pilot's seat. "The reproduction was not intended to be an exact one, Mr. Moreau," said an electronic voice emanating from the globe.

"But then you've got this," Joker continued. "This... _thing_that I don't wanna talk about. It's like ship cancer."

"What?" Kaidan wondered aloud. "The VI?"

"Actually," said the globe, "I am a fully functional artificial intelligence and cyberwarfare suite. You may call me EDI."

"Cyberwarfare." Kaidan had a passing knowledge of the varied computer systems that went into running a ship like this, and could see how such a thing could be useful in combat. "But why an AI? No offense, but it seems risky."

"Yeah, that might have something to do with the fact that one of 'em almost destroyed galactic civilization a couple years back. You know, just saying," Joker muttered.

"A Virtual Intelligence cannot be programmed with the decision making skills necessary for effective cyberwarfare, and an organic operator lacks the reaction time necessary to use such skills in combat. And while Mr. Moreau is correct regarding organic mistrust of AIs, I am also programmed with hardware blocks restricting my access to classified information and basic ship functions. I can assure you that I pose no threat to you or this vessel."

"Yet," added Joker.

"That's enough, Joker." Kaidan turned and headed back toward the CIC. He figured it was about time for him to learn his way around the ship and get to know his crew. Jacob had been with the Alliance, he learned, before getting fed up with red tape and leaving to join Cerberus. Miranda had good reason to be so confident in her abilities; they were the result of extensive genetic modification. Of course, Shepard had always been cocky as hell, too, but unlike Miranda, she'd earned it.

Kelly Chambers, his secretary-slash-morale officer, was kind, perky, and dangerously naive. She knew the risks of their mission, but didn't seem to have a clue what she might be getting into with Cerberus, leaving Kaidan to wonder how much of it was an act. He got a similar vibe from the two kids in the engine room, but found them more genuine. They'd been with the Alliance at the battle of the Citadel, and just wanted the opportunity to take further action against the Reapers.

His biggest surprise came when he entered the medical bay. "Dr. Chakwas?"

"Kaidan. I watched the Normandy crumble with you still on board. It's good to see you alive."

"You've been with the Alliance for years. What would bring you here?"

She lowered her eyes. "After the Normandy was destroyed, her crew was reassigned. I was sent to a colonial outpost on Mars. After spending so much of my life on starships, colony life seemed stagnant. I missed the hum of the engines, the vibration of the bulkheads, that subtle vertigo when the artificial gravity kicks in."

"You know, I didn't buy all that from Joker, and I'm certainly not buying it from you. He's always been kind of a wild card, but I'd have never expected to see you with Cerberus."

"I'm not working for Cerberus," she said forcefully. "I'm working for you. After Jeff told me they'd found a way to save you, I agreed to look into it. It's something that needs to be done, and with you here, I know there's someone with integrity in charge."

"I... appreciate that." Although Kaidan suspected that her reasoning had more to do with Joker than she let on. On their last mission, he'd become almost a surrogate son to her, and Kaidan doubted that it had taken much convincing to get her to join him now. "While I'm here, do you have everything you need here?"

"Well, unsurprisingly, Cerberus hasn't skimped on medical supplies. This place is very similar to the medical bay on the old Normandy." Kaidan nodded in agreement; he'd seen the inside of that medbay more than a few times. "The only thing missing are my private reserves." She lowered her voice. "I actually had a bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy that I was saving for a special occassion. I was sorry to see it go."

"Well, if I happen to come across a bottle, I'll pick it up."

"Oh, that's not necessary; it's so expensive."

Kaidan shrugged. "We'll see."

Miranda had told him that his quarters could be found on Deck 1. She hadn't mentioned that the deck contained nothing else. Kaidan gasped as the door slid open. Shepard's apartment on the SR-1 had barely had room for a bed, desk, and tiny private bathroom, and he'd thought even that seemed like a waste of space on a starship where every cubic meter mattered. But this was practically a suite.

An L-shaped desk occupied an upper level, containing a terminal, a collection of books, and, somewhat disturbingly, a photo of Shepard. The 'lower' level, really just a few steps down, contained a sofa, another, smaller desk, and a bed that actually had room for two rather than one and a half individuals.

The thing he found the most bothersome, however, was the massive fish tank that comprised one wall. Did the Illusive Man really expect him to keep pets on board? And even if so, the size of the thing was ridiculous. He'd have to talk with Gardner about having it drained. He certainly had no plans to use it and they could do without the extra weight.

Kaidan flipped through the available stations on the sound system until he found something quiet and relaxing, then settled onto the couch to begin reviewing the dossiers.


	5. Welcome to Omega

"Is he serious?" Kaidan shoved the datapad containing the dossiers into Miranda's face. "These are the people who are going to help us take down the Collectors? I can see why he wanted me to go for the salarian first; he's the only one of the bunch who seems like he _might_ be somewhat stable!"

"He asked you to recruit Dr. Solus first so that we can develop a counter-measure to the Collectors' paralyzing agent as quickly as possible. As for the rest, Alenko, keep in mind that you won't always find the galaxy's best and brightest wearing a uniform."

"A vigilante," he said, beginning to flip through the datapad, "with a body count a mile long. A shunned warlord, deemed too bloodthirsty and vengeful for krogan society. And then we've got Jack. No last name, no history at all outside of his rap sheet." He slammed the datapad onto the desk. "Yeah, I'm sure we'll all make a hell of a team!"

"Playing by the rules isn't going to stop the collectors. We have to be ready to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Say what you'd like about our potential recruits, but they've proven their willingness to take risks."

"Looks to me like all they've proven is that they don't work well with others."

"Well, Alenko, part of your job here is to make them. If you don't think you can handle that..." Miranda let the threat hang.

To be honest, Kaidan wasn't sure he _could_handle it. Shepard would have had little trouble; she had a way of speaking to people that, while harsh at times, was effective. She'd convinced a krogan to help her destroy what, by all appearances, was a genophage cure. She'd talked the indoctrinated Saren into taking his own life to end his connection to Sovereign. He'd seen it all, but could anyone but Shepard could truly be Shepard? Still, he'd promised himself that he wouldn't let her get involved in this. So he would manage, somehow, even if he had to come up with his own way.

He snatched up the datapad, gritting his teeth. "I can handle it just fine."

* * *

"Now," Jacob was saying as they exited the shuttle onto Omega, "you'll want to speak with Aria T'loak. She's set up shop in the Afterlife nightclub. If anyone has information on how to find these people, it'll be her."

They made their way through darkened streets and entered the darkened club. He supposed the dimness was appreciated by many of the residents here; the better to conceal illicit activities, after all. The weird lighting was likely to give him a migraine, though. Except that the L2 was gone. He picked up his pace a little as they entered the main area of the club.

The clubs Shepard had dragged him to on the Citadel had nothing on this place, he realized. A huge bar dominated the center, with dancers on a platform above it, while tables lined the walls and patrons danced on an upper level skirting the edges of the large room. Kaidan headed toward the back, looking for a quiet place where Aria might be waiting.

He suspected he'd found it when a guard thrust a pistol in his face. He raised his hands slowly. "My name's Kaidan Alenko. I'm here to see Aria." The turian nodded and motioned him up the stairs, where more guards flanked a dark-complexioned asari seated on a leather sofa. "Aria?" he said to her.

She nodded. "Kaidan Alenko. Former Second officer of the Normandy. Commander Shepard told me you were dead."

He kept his voice level, trying to control his reaction at hearing her name, distinctly aware of the two Cerberus agents standing beside him. "You've spoken with her?"

"She drops in here from time to time. And before you ask, I don't keep tabs on her or anything. If she's not on Omega I don't know where she is. And she's not."

Well, that took care of that problem; he didn't have to worry about Cerberus getting any information on Shepard. He would have liked to have some kind of lead, though. "So, do you... run Omega?"

Aria laughed and stood up, throwing her arms out in an expansive gesture. "I AM Omega." She stepped closer to him. "Take from that what you will. Omega has no titled ruler, and only one rule." She settled herself back onto the sofa and narrowed her eyes. "Don't. Fuck. With Aria."

Kaidan might have rolled his eyes if he didn't have every reason to believe the woman facing him could kill him with a thought. Instead, he nodded slowly and said, "I'll keep that in mind." Shepard wouldn't let herself be intimidated by Aria and he had to do the same. So he took a seat beside her and continued. "I'm looking for a couple people who I heard were in the area; I hoped you might help me find them."

"Give me the names; I'll tell you what I know."

"The first one is a salarian doctor, Mordin Solus."

"I know him." She nodded. "Spent a few years in the salarian Special Tasks Group, I heard. Crazy bastard. Still, I like Mordin. He's as likely to kill you as heal you. He's set up shop in the slums near here. There's been a plague running through there; the Blue Suns have quarantined the whole area. But if you can get in, that's where you'll find him."

"Thank you. The other guy I'm looking for goes by the name of Archangel."

"Now that's _not _a name you want to mention too loudly."

"I take it you're not a fan?"

"He's caused a lot of trouble for me, made the mercs restless. Pretty impressive, actually, considering he's managed to get the Eclipse, Blood Pack and Blue Suns working together. They've actually set up a recruiting center downstairs, looking for people to help take him out."

"And what happens when they find out I'm not here to kill him?"

"I think you're smarter than to let them know that before you find him. And as for me, as long as you take him off my hands I don't much care how you do it."

"Well, ah, thank you for your help." Kaidan stood and extended a hand. Aria made no move to take it. He nodded and headed down the stairs.

"So, Shepard's been seen on Omega," Miranda said, thoughtfully.

"Yes," Kaidan responded, "and she's not here now." It was enough to make Miranda drop the subject, for the moment. "Come on, let's see if we can track down Dr. Solus."

* * *

The commerce district was as dimly lit as the corridor they'd entered from, with only slightly more color. An array of shops and food stands lay in front of them, but curiosity led Kaidan down a narrow corridor where a quarian had set up a stall and was working with a piece of machinery. "Excuse me," said Kaidan.

The quarian jumped, startled. "Hello, sir. Are you interested in any spare parts or salvage? I have many fine items available."

The quarian's diction was odd in his translator. Kaidan doubted he'd been away from the fleet for long. "I might have a look. What brings you out this way? Seems an odd destination for a pilgrimage."

The quarian had continued to work as he spoke, but at Kaidan's mention of pilgrimage he actually looked up, bright eyes looking right at him through the faceplate.

"My name is Kenn. I left on pilgrimage several months ago. This was only meant to be a brief stop on my journey. Then, before I could plan my next destination, I was robbed. They took everything I had. Now I sell salvage to try and make enough for a ticket off-world. But no one will buy; my prices are too high."

"And you can't lower them?"

Kenn shook his head. "I have a deal, with Harrott, the elcor who runs the machine shop in the square. If I undercut him, he'll put me out of business."

"How much would it cost you to book passage out of here?"

"I've scraped up a bit; I'm still a thousand credits short of a ticket, though." As Kaidan reached into his pocket, Kenn raised his hands. "No, sir, I couldn't let you do that. This is my pilgrimage, my mistake; I need to solve it on my own."

Kaidan nodded slowly, admiring Kenn's determination with so much stacked against him. "Then let me buy something from you." Kaidan surveyed the available goods. "Those FBA couplings; are they the T6 model?"

Kenn nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir. Yes, they are. Are you interested?"

Kaidan handed over his payment. "My engineers were looking for a set of these; they'll appreciate this."

"And I appreciate your business, sir."

"You know, for that price you could have gotten those brand new," Miranda said once they were out of earshot.

"And I could have given him the thousand creds for his ticket. You might want to keep that in mind when you're balancing the books." Scattered neon signs brightened the atmosphere as they entered the main trading square. A batarian, perched atop a crate, blasted a tirade against humanity for anyone who would listen. Shops and food scattered themselves throughout the area. Seeing Omega in all its glory made Kaidan realize just how clean even some of the lower wards of the Citadel were. Everything there was so orderly; this place reminded him of some of the seedier areas of downtown Vancouver where he'd stayed once upon a time, only more alien. And Shepard had grown up in those types of places. Omega probably didn't faze her one bit.

The massive form of an elcor dominated one of the larger storefronts in the marketplace. The sign hanging above informed him this was Harrott's Emporium. Kaidan stepped up to the counter. "Are you Harrott?"

"Condescending: What is it to you, human?"

"The quarian told me about you. Said you've been pressuring him? The guy just wants to get out of your hair. Isn't it in your best interests to let him?"

"Losing patience: Don't presume to understand my interests."

Bargaining had failed; what would Shepard have done in his position? Probably call the elcor an asshole, followed by some scene of waving a pistol around combined with a threat of broken legs. Such scenes, while effective, had always made him uncomfortable; fortunately, he could afford to be more subtle.

Kaidan rested his hands on the counter and leaned forward, letting his biotics flare slightly. "Let's put it this way, you make things a little easier for the quarian, and I won't have to make them difficult for you."

"With barely contained fright: Very well, human. The quarian may set his own prices. And to show there are no hard feelings, let me offer you a discount on my wares."

Kaidan waved his hand at the elcor "Hmm. Maybe another time." He turned and continued toward the quarantine zone.

"I wouldn't have expected _you _to threaten someone so casually," Miranda said as they walked away. Kaidan wasn't sure, but he thought he'd heard a hint of praise in her voice.

Not that it mattered. He wasn't trying to impress her. "I did him a favor. Bully like that, only a matter of time before someone decided to go beyond threats."

"I assume you're speaking from experience?" she asked.

Kaidan caught Jacob's glare as she did so. He wasn't surprised that Cerberus had acquired this information about him; he'd never been in doubt of their information gathering. What surprised him was the way the off-handed reference to Vyrnuss had stung, even all these years later. It had been a precision strike, but not one intended to hurt him; instead reavealing just enough information to let him know she had the upper hand. Kaidan shrugged but remained silent.

* * *

Kaidan had seen some rough places after Brain Camp, but even those had had at least some rule of law. The quarantine district took the anarchy of Omega to another level. Occasional fires dotted the streets, a makeshift attempt to dispose of the bodies. A number of doors locked from the outside indicated early attempts to contain the virus, before someone had just decided to lock down the whole area. Luckily, Dr. Solus had been able to manufacture a cure, which they hurriedly managed to release into the air supply.

As for the salarian himself, well, he was more than just a doctor. A genius, certainly, and almost unnaturally focused on his work: more than once, Kaidan had to interrupt his brainstorming to remind him there was someone else in the room. His Cerberus dossier had indicated that he had been part of the salarian Special Tasks Group, a detail that Kaidan had skimmed over at the time.

"So, ah, what kind of research did you do with the special tasks group?" Kaidan asked as Mordin looked over the equipment in the Normandy's lab.

"Not just research. Several recon missions. Covert. High-risk. Studying krogan genophage. Served under young captain named Kirrahe.

"Yeah," Kaidan said, "I think I met him. He helped us take down Saren's cloning facility, on Virmire."

"Yes, jury-rigged explosive. Good captain, always did get job done with minimal resources. Bit of a cloaca, though. Heard Kirrahe died on Virmire."

Kaidan nodded. "We tried. Just couldn't get everyone out before the explosion hit. I lost a friend there, too." He scratched a spot on his midsection, a phantom itch from a phantom scar from a geth who managed to get through his shields on Virmire, just before Shepard hauled him away. "Suppose we should both get back to work, then. See you around."


End file.
